Swing reactor systems are used in the hydrocarbon processing industry for processes that entail the frequent regeneration of catalyst. This is true for fixed bed reactors, where the catalyst is regenerated in situ, and the process is swung over to a second, or third, reactor, while the catalyst in the first reactor is regenerated. A typical regeneration involves removing the coke deposits that accumulate over the time the reactor is on stream. One process is the Olefin Cracking Process (OCP) where C4-C8 olefins are passed over a catalyst bed and crack to smaller molecules. The cracking process generates some coking on the catalyst, and over time the catalyst activity is reduced due to plugging of the catalyst pores with coke. The catalyst is regenerated though oxidizing the coke and removing it as gas comprising N2, H2O, CO and CO2. The OCP reactors are regenerated every 48 hours, and therefore the process is swinging between the reactors on a frequent basis.
It is important to provide a simple, reliable regeneration system which burns off coke deposits in a mostly nitrogen environment—utilizing a minimum capital cost, minimum complexity arrangement.